"It could only have happened on the night for miracles and lost causes, and only then because Jack had refused to give up hope, because nothing can be lost for good until all hope has gone..."
synopsis
Dur Pig has been by Jack's side since he was a baby. They have gone on many adventures together and DP is always there for Jack, through good and bad. On Christmas Eve a truly terrible accident occurs and DP is lost. Jack is torn by the loss of his dearest friend and refuses to accept DP's replacement, the Christmas Pig. It seems all hope is lost and that his best friend will never return.
Christmas Eve is the night for miracles and lost causes. The only night of the year when all Things can come to life. Jack learns that DP has ended up in the Land of the Lost and of the terrible Loser that tortures and eats lost Things. In a race against time Jack and the Christmas Pig set off for the Land of the Lost, determined to rescue the beloved DP before midnight.
thoughts & feelings
This year my family started a new tradition. I love books and so do my children so we decided to read a book together as a family. The Christmas Pig was the perfect book to start with. The chapters are about five pages, on average, and it has a few cute illustrations that absolutely captivated my children. After a few nights of reading my kids would shout for the "pig book" after their night routine was finished. It made me so happy to see them enjoy being read to, even when they didn't fully understand the story. We loved this family time so much that we are extending it past Christmas. I love reading aloud to my family as my kids play quietly on the floor or snuggle with me or their dad. This quiet and peaceful moment is so good for my soul at the end of the day.
Since we read this book as a family I will give you a bit of my husbands thoughts and feelings. My husband rated the book a three out of five, which is honestly more than I thought he would give it. He enjoyed the book up until the Things came alive on Christmas Eve. At that moment he mumbled something to the effect of "it's just like Toy Story." So if you love Toy Story you will probably enjoy this. My husband cannot stand to watch any of the Toy Story movies so you can see why I was surprised at the three out of five rating.
I enjoyed this book overall but was a touch disappointed. You know when an author writes something amazing and you secretly expect everything to be that wonderful? That's how I feel about J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter was and still is truly amazing. The world, creatures, and characters she created are just as magical each time I open those books. Knowing that she is capable of this amazingness has left me a little wanting with The Christmas Pig. I did try to keep in mind that The Christmas Pig is a children's book and is a single novel, not seven, so the space for description and depth is quite a bit smaller. I did enjoy the Land of the Lost and the different cities that exist within each. J.K. Rowling did a great job describing each of the Things and how they look and move. The story line is simple but not without adventure, excitement, and a bit of sadness. Children will be able to easily follow the story line and how everything connects. It is definitely worth reading and my family will probably revisit it, at Christmas time, every few years.
book tags
Steam Level: clean, no kissing
Language: clean
Trigger Warnings: divorce, step-families, bullying, it mentions a few times that the Loser (bad guy) tortures, tears apart, and eats lost Things.
book information
Title: The Christmas Pig
Author: J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Jim Field
Rating: 4/5